In Her Dreams
by SweetSybarite
Summary: Raeyan, Haer'Dalis, Jaheira, Minsc and Aerie are heading for the Cavern of Souls. Raeyan's dreams are plagued by a masked man: "It is your presence here that makes the world crumble:You are what they wish they could be." and Haer'Dalis is acting strangely
1. Dreaming of Nightmares

This is only the second Fic I've written, so I'm fairly new to this. Please have mercy in your criticisms! Thanks muchly! : )  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the BG characters.  
  
"My Lady, there is more to live for than even you know... and you do know much... when you choose to remember it."  
  
The voice resonated through her entire body, through the whole cave, as though the air was filling with languid oil. A prickling sensation tingled across her skin.  
  
She spun about quickly, searched for the speaker, located him, faced an ebony-cloaked , broad-shouldered figure. His face was almost completely obscured by an ivory bone mask. Blood red lips and white-blue teeth pronounced the bottom of the mask, while the top was punctuated by a pair of intense, lustrous eyes, which shone a vivid green in the dim light of the dying lanterns.  
  
"You're alone? Does your skin not tremble? Are you not afraid?"  
  
That voice: a voice that felt like a tongue running up her spine; a voice that made a shudder shake her body. An excited rush flowed up through her legs, along her chilled spine, flattened her shoulders back against the rocks and made her lips quiver.  
  
He leaned against the dark, moist stone of the cavern's wall. He smiled, then blinked his luminous eyes slowly. The world seemed, for a moment, to be robbed of all its light, then those eyes returned and with them came all radiance. He had a power to him; some enigmatic darkness that made her question, not what he was doing here, but...  
  
"Why are you here?" Raeyan said slowly, afraid he would answer truthfully.  
  
"Because, My Lady," he whispered "you should not be." His eyes flared, his crimson lips broke apart and his gleaming teeth sparkled in the faint light. His laugh extended through the cavern, through the mountain, out into the valleys, making everything tremble. Making her tremble and quake with an irrational fear she didn't know she could wield.  
  
"You are not from this place. You cannot work here. You do not belong here." Raeyan stammered trying to regain some control. Repeating herself, anxious to do her duty and tell this myth, that in spite of his strange allure, he was not welcome here.  
  
"No, I am not, I can not and I do not... but neither do you."  
  
"Go away! Leave -"  
  
"I will not." His beautiful lips carved the words in the air, cutting through her command and drowning her utterance like a feral kitten.  
  
"I belong here." she stammered "It's just you who is out of place. Your presence here is making the rocks shake and the mountain crumble."  
  
"It is your presence here that makes the world crumble: reality has noticed you and it wants you gone. It has sent me to give you your final notice. You are not like them. You are what they wish they could be." His eyes glowed with an urgent intensity that made her fear him now, more than his words ever had. She held her ground and spoke her usual phrase.  
  
"If I did not belong here I could not do what I have done. It is not possible. This is my place."  
  
"Stubbornness. One of their better traits...or is it mere denial?"  
  
He had never said that before! It was as though he was biting the words out of the air and spiting them at her: it was an effort for him to speak.  
  
"My gift to you is a curse: three hours and a belief. It would have been your wish, but you doubted my words and, although they're lies, I wanted to play."  
  
His eyes flashed coldly, then a sardonic grin sauntered across his lips as the cruel words burned the inside of her mind, making her shake her head fiercely trying to dislodge them and free herself.  
  
Raeyan's eyes blinked open. She stared motionlessly at the sky... she wasn't even in a cave, not that she'd expected to be; the dream plagued her often, each time the same, never a different word, always the same reactions, night after night- like a rehearsal they repeated words she didn't understand. Tonight was different. But it wasn't the final performance.  
  
She remained still and listened for the comfort of her companions' peaceful breathing. Only Minsc provided her with what she sought: an echoing, peaceful snore. Aerie's quiet whimpers signalled another dream of her flight cut short and her heritage torn away; Jaheira's less than peaceful breath pushed past her weary lips, in the same way it had done every night since Khalid had ceased to lie at her side. There was no sound from Haer'Dalis.  
  
Raeyan pushed herself up onto her elbows and surveyed the dark camp: the fire was a mere heap of glowing embers, not that she needed it's light: infravision served quite well in the darkness of Elios Forest. What troubled Raeyan more than anything else, was that neither she nor any of her companions had ever been here before they knew nothing of the dangers of this forest: and Haer'Dalis was nowhere in sight.  
  
Raeyan moved silently into a fully upright position and strained her elven eyes, searching the darkness for the Tiefling. She could see nothing. She strained for a sound, but she could hear nothing: she would be disappointed in the skilled and silent Doomguard should his footfalls be the thing to lead her to him.  
  
She made up her mind. The sun was close to rising and the others would soon be awake. She would search more thoroughly for Haer Dalis.  
  
She reached for her boots. A strange inheritance they had been: made from the skin of a Githyanki Blood-Hunter and inlaid with Illithid embalmed brain tissue, they were a treasured and powerful, yet horrific and costly possession. She pulled them on feverishly and pulled her heavy cloak about her. She rose slowly to her feet and began to stride from the encampment, then with thoughts of the half-dark woods, turned back and tugged her belt, scabbard and Aeriil, her ordained swift-blade, into place.  
  
She had not gone far when a voice rang out clearly from the shadows.  
  
"My Lady, there is more to live for than even you know... and you do know much... when you choose to remember it?" The voice was wrong, but those words...  
  
She whirled about in shock at the familiar phrase. Haer'Dalis emerged from the shadows and stood facing her in the small clearing. He leaned against the thick trunk of a Millu tree, staring intently.  
  
"Your nightmares become worse, my raven. You now speak more in sleep than you do in your waking hours." His expression was calm and kind as he spoke.  
  
"Yes, they're getting worse... and more numerous. It seems the closer we get to the cavern, the worse they become. I don't know anymore, Sparrow, am I making a mistake going there?" he looked at her silently for a moment. Then seemed to reach some decision.  
  
"Raeyan, I have a confession to make." Her own name caught her attention sharply. She stared at the extra-planner Tiefling in the darkness; his hair had never looked such a cold blue and his eyes had never glowed such a soft violet and he had never looked so uneasy in her presence. He took a deep breath "I have been there. I have seen the Cavern of Souls."  
  
Questions clogged up her mind and came gushing out over her unguarded lips.  
  
"When? What for? Why didn't you say?"  
  
"Some while ago," he began gravely "when I sought the gilded answers to questions which were still caged in mystery"  
  
She looked at him blankly, thought for a second and then said "you have answered only one of my questions... and even that was vague" a discerning stare through the dimness revealed a very nervous, sincere expression, coated in a thin layer of sweat. He sighed.  
  
"I did not tell you because I could not tell you." he stared at her stubbornly "this is all I'm willing to confess tonight: it will have to suffice."  
  
He knew it didn't, but she knew he couldn't be pushed. He would tell her if she needed to know: that is if not knowing would kill her.  
  
The Cavern of Souls was said to be a place for soul searching, more literally than most realised, and so the fact that Haer'Dalis was not keen to reveal his business there came as no surprise.  
  
As they strode from the clearing Raeyan muttered something under her breath  
  
"This quest is vain." She smiled to herself at the memory of the mad mage with the moonblade. 


	2. One of Those Days

Sorry the chapter has taken so long to arrive. I think the grammar is quite bad and there are probably plenty of mistakes for anyone who cares to nit- pick =) anywho, please R&R!  
  
Jaheira let out a peaceful sigh as she woke up. She rolled over, flung her arm out, remembered too late, bit her lip hard to keep the tears from her proud eyes: Khalid was not there, nor would he ever be again.  
  
She sat up bleary-eyed and fuzzy-haired and stared around the camp. The sun was still low in the sky, the fire was burned out and neither Raeyan nor Haer'Dalis were there. Her brow furrowed as she looked at each of their sleeping mats. She knew Haer'Dalis had been on watch, but Raeyan should still be asleep... curse her nightmares...  
  
Jaheira moved sleepily to Raeyan's bed space and placed a hand on the mat: cold, so she was not recently gone. Jaheira sighed.  
  
"Minsc, Aerie: wake up!" she commanded harshly  
  
Minsc sat bolt upright and looked at Jaheira wide-eyed and panic-stricken, while Aerie rolled over using her blonde curls and slender arms to hide her face.  
  
"Raeyan and that dammed bard are gone" Jaheira said shortly, hoping this would have more effect on Aerie.  
  
"Haer and Rae are gone?" she said moving swiftly into an upright position and looking towards Haer'Dalis' pack.  
  
"Their stuff is here, so if they are alive they will return, but they have been gone some while, as far as I can determine." Jaheira said bluntly  
  
"Jaheira! How can you be so... so... heartless!" cried Aerie rising to her feet.  
  
"I am simply stating the facts, child. They may or may not be dead: that is a fact. I hope no less than you do that they are not." Jaheira snapped  
  
Minsc sat through the exchange looking variously awake, shocked, around, relieved, angry then confused.  
  
"Friends are gone: wait or search" Minsc said simply, interrupting the argument, which was after all, just wasting fighting time.  
  
"Wait" said Jaheira firmly.  
  
"Search" said Aerie without pause.  
  
Both glared at one another briefly, then launched into an all-out argument, neither one even pretending to listen to the other.  
  
"We should wait here, because they will return for their packs and for us, Gods' know why they left, but they will be back shortly. There is no point in running off looking for them because they'll arrive back and find us gone and then we'll never be able to find each other. We haven't arranged a meeting point in any event because none of us know this Godforsaken land. We should wait..."  
  
"...We cannot sit around doing nothing when they're probably out there dying. Both of them took their weapons with them so they must be fighting or doing something dangerous. What if they don't come back? What if they die while we're just sitting here waiting for them to return? What if we could have made the difference in the battle they're fighting? We should go to them: we can't just sit here! They might need us! it'll be all your fault if they die!"  
  
"STOP!" Minsc shouted and the girls fell silent. He began pointing from one to the other and muttering under his breath. Jaheira groaned and slapped her forehead and Aerie smiled at her well- meaning, but less than intelligent, diplomatic protector.

* * *

Raeyan walked silently behind Haer'Dalis for a few minutes. She watched his back as he strode confidently onwards. Her thoughts rested on the tiefling. He was very handsome: he had long, striking blue hair and violet almond- shaped eyes, as well as beautiful curved lips and a strong and able body: Aerie was very lucky. He also had a way with words, he was charming. She smiled to herself thinking of his diplomacy concerning Aerie and Jaheira. She stopped herself; she knew he was attractive, but she didn't begrudge Aerie... did she? she drove all thoughts of the Doomguard from her mind and looked about.  
  
Raeyan then realised why this was taking so long: they were not heading back to the camp.  
  
"Where are we going Sparrow?" she whispered  
  
He turned and looked at her: his face was pallid and his eyes were wide and filled with pain and fear. His body contorted with the effort of the movement and he fell to his knees. His breath was fast and shallow and tears began to stream down his face. He tried to speak: it was obviously not easy for him.  
  
"I will not go on!" he shouted towards the sky, then to Raeyan he breathed "I cannot control my actions." then another convulsion reduced him to a heap on the floor "Do not follow me" he sobbed.  
  
Raeyan bent down and tried to bring him to his knees, but his body continued to protest. She couldn't raise him easily, all she could do was stare at his obvious pain helplessly until the convulsions eased off a little.  
  
"Rae?" he whispered. "I have another confession to make."  
  
She looked into his eyes and he smiled weakly, attempting to comfort her.  
  
"I'm going to die, unless I lead you to a place you'll be killed"  
  
The words struck like a blow, though she had suspected, from his appearance, that he was under some form of control spell.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I must keep walking" he continued.  
  
She nodded again  
  
"Do not follow me." his voice sounded pleading  
  
"will they kill you if you arrive without me?"  
  
He nodded "now I have told you this, they will. But I must tell you something and then you must let me go" tears spilled down his face and his voice was no more than a whisper.  
  
Just then she caught sight of a movement out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"Sorry," she whispered "tell me later." She placed a hand on his cheek in apology, then she punched him in the face. He slumped into unconsciousness, as she stood and drew her swift-blade. 

She span about, Aeriil whirling to parry her attacker's dagger just in time, as it was thrust towards her waste. As her sword arm was still engaged in the parry she brought her left fist up and swung a punch under the mans' massive brown hood. She must have hit his face, because he hit the floor in seconds.  
  
She shook her hand in pain: she had not thought to put on her diamondine punching fists when she left the encampment and her fists were paying the price.  
  
She pulled his hood back and stared at the mans face: it was unremarkable, but for a tattoo which ran, in a thin strip, all the way down the centre of his face, from his hairline down to his brown robes and probably extended further in both directions. It was obviously a mark for some brotherhood or other she was not familiar with, most probably the one which was responsible for the actions of Haer'Dalis. She searched the man quickly. He had nothing, but the dagger and a single burnished key, which she had discovered on a thin chain around his neck. When she pulled it from it's chain it evaporated.  
  
"damn!" she whispered.  
  
She turned back to Haer'Dalis' still slumped on the ground and sighed as she hauled the unconscious Tiefling onto her shoulders. She wondering how many more attacks she would suffer before she reached the camp. As she strode along, following her own tracks back the way they had come, she noticed how light the sky was, even through the thick trees: the others would be awake and worried by now.  
  
The next few attacks had been easy to deal with. Haer'Dalis had received more injury than she had: she had dropped him each time she heard something and attacks and false alarms were numerous. Each man wore the brown robes and each man carried only a dagger and a key... and the keys always evaporated. She had looked for a hook to undo the chain: there wasn't one. She had tried to pull the chain over the mans head: the chain was too short. She didn't much fancy the idea of decapitating the man for a key to a place she probably didn't want to reach... but she did it anyway. However, when she cut the head off she also cut the chain.  
  
"damn!" she muttered.  
  
When the next assassin struck she killed him quickly and moved the chain up before cutting as low as she could: this time it worked. She removed the bloody chain, complete with bloody key and slipped it into her pocket. They arrived back at the camp minutes later.  
  
"shit!" Raeyan growled looking at the empty camp.

It really was going to be one of those days...


	3. Killing Danger

Sorry!! Again I've taken ages to update... hope this isn't a disappointment!!

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"We should not have left the encampment." Jaheira stated firmly "We've gone in the opposite direction from Raeyan! Your tracking skills leave much to be desired!"  
  
Minsc stopped looking at the ground and looked momentarily offended, then shrugged and nodded slightly, conceding that following people was not his forte... or he would have, had he been the type of person to use the word forte.  
  
Aerie, however, was more upset by the remark. She turned to Jaheira sharply  
  
"Why are you taking it out on Minsc! We couldn't have just stayed there! they could have been dying... and we decided fairly to do the right thing. And Minsc is a great tracker!"  
  
Minsc beamed at Aerie proudly, then his head snapped about as Jaheira began her tirade.  
  
"fairly! I do not call childish rhymes and pointing a good way to decide to strand your friends in the middle of unknown territory. Call it the right thing if you like, but they are more likely dead from our actions than saved by them, since we have been walking for seven hours and have found nothing." She snapped.  
  
Aerie couldn't bare the thought of her friends in trouble, let alone dying, from her actions. Her lip quivered as she thought of Haer'Dalis being stuck down by a foe when he needed her and she wasn't there. Jaheira saw the tears welling in Aerie's eyes  
  
"For goodness sake, child! Control yourself!"  
  
Aerie was about to snap a reply, despite the building tears, when Minsc turned quickly from another inspection of the ground.  
  
"Wait!" Minsc suddenly called, glee edging his voice "methinks I have picked up the trail again! Boo says: go this way!"  
  
Both women glared momentarily at one another before resigning themselves to silence and turning wearily to follow Minsc as he began to follow a fairly clear trail. Aerie wiped her eyes before tears could form properly as Jaheira muttered under her breath:  
  
"I don't believe I'm following a rodent and a man who gladly follows a rodent because it has more brains than he does!"  
  
But as they progressed through the dense wood, sounds of a struggle could be heard and Minsc began to rush forwards pulling out his weapons as he ran... he hadn't killed anything in over seven hours, after all.  
  
As he burst into the clearing he saw a young man suffering a serious attack from several wolf-like creatures. The young man was not faring well: he was coping reasonably well with the beast in front of him, but two others were threatening his back ferociously. Minsc raised his sword and brought it down towards the first beast's head. It moved quickly, with lightning reflexes and the sword only scraped its foreleg. It turned on Minsc and began it's attack upon him. Minsc was surprised, but clearly delighted an interesting fight at last!  
  
Jaheira muttered a healing spell the second she arrived on the scene, which alerted the young man to their presence. He called his thanks, but did not turn to see who his potential rescuers were.  
  
Aerie began casting upon the wolves and a glorious and heavenly bolt on lightning burst through the trees and struck one of the strange wolves; it howled and turned quickly towards the Avariel . Jaheira quickly muttered a spell under her breath and before the strong beast reach the fragile girl, roots sprang up from the ground and wound themselves around the creature's legs holding it firmly in place. It snarled viciously and Jaheira began to cast again; this time insects flew in a great cloud, enveloping the creature, biting and stinging it. the creature howled and snapped ineffectually at the bugs.  
  
Minsc was hacking at the first creature and had caused considerable damage: he finished it with one last blow to the head and it keeled over in the already growing pool of dark blood. Minsc rushed towards the youth and aided him against the growling creature which was attacking him so ferociously.  
  
Aerie began healing both men while Jaheira approached the rooted creature and, sword in hand, shield on arm, began to hack and slash at the struggling wolf.  
  
The battle was drawing to a close as Minsc turned on the last wolf with fervour: the roots had sunk away into the ground and it was still fiercely attacking Jaheira when he forcefully separated it's head from it's body. Blood splattered all over Minsc, the youth and Jaheira: the latter looked most unimpressed.  
  
"Do you always have to be so... bloody!" She scolded as Aerie rushed to Minsc making sure his wounds were not serious. And as Aerie began muttering a minor healing charm to take away some "scratches" as Minsc would have called them, Jaheira turned to the young man who seemed to be waiting for eye contact before speaking.  
  
"Thank you all so much, I would never have survived that, had you not intervened." He said softly as he looked upon the blood-splattered half- elf. Jaheira felt his gaze sweep over her face and she urged to wipe away the blood or fix her tousled hair. Then she felt stupid and a little guilty for such thoughts, after all she was not Aerie, and so she left the blood and her messy hair alone to mar her features.  
  
He smiled warmly when she didn't reply. This stirred from her stupor and shaking her tangled head she began a hasty reply:  
  
"Minsc needed to kill something: it's been hours and that's days for him..." she indicated the tall barbarian with a small nod "and we were heading in this direction anyway... looking for friends: you haven't seen anyone on your travels have you... a female elf ranger and a blue-haired idio...Bard?" Jaheira corrected herself, for Aerie's sake, as the blonde shot her a fiery look which clearly had tears behind it.  
  
The man stifled a laugh "I'm afraid to say I have not seen anyone in days... not even a blue-haired idiot!"  
  
Jaheira smiled broadly and Aerie let out a small sob at the thought of her poor Haer'Dalis and of meeting someone else as heartless as Jaheira.  
  
"He's not an idiot Jaheira!" she whimpered  
  
"I never said he was, child" Jaheira snapped glaring at the petite blonde pointedly. Then her gaze moved back to the sharp, amber eyes of the traveller; they were extraordinary eyes, they held her undivided attention. "what are you doing so far from anything in this godforsaken forest anyhow?" she said suspiciously.  
  
"Nice to meet you... Jaheira, wasn't it?" The man said grinning  
  
"Sorry to be so forward... I just wondered... you can't trust strange folk you meet in forests in my experience..." Aerie cut in before she could finish.  
  
"You get used to her rudeness after a while.... I'm Aerie" she smiled at the youth in what she hoped was a charming manner. He turned to her, looking upon her for the first time: his black hair fell in his eyes and he shook his head slightly to remove it from his vision as he said "I'm Garret." And with a small smile he knew Aerie would accept him without a problem.  
  
Jaheira felt a small stab of jealousy: another man falling for the dappy blonde! And an attractive man at that. She pouted moodily, as Aerie swooned before the stranger... honestly! Haer'Dalis had been missing, presumed dead, for a matter of hours! But she reasoned that Aerie wasn't a bad person... she was just attractive and well... she needed looking after. Jaheira didn't need looking after: she didn't need anything... or at least she believed she didn't and so that was that.  
  
Meanwhile Minsc stood watching the exchange until the man turned to thank him.  
  
"Minsc, I presume. You are the one responsible for my rescue: I thank you." the man bowed deeply and Minsc grinned.  
  
"Boo said there was danger this way and we killed the danger!" Minsc exclaimed proudly.  
  
The man frowned and looked back at Jaheira, who's face had gone a little pink and was contorted into a slightly pained expression. She gave a look of pure compassion to the man and he nodded kindly and then beamed a smile at Minsc.  
  
"Who is this Boo of which you speak, for I would like to thank him too" he hope it wasn't an imaginary friend: he didn't fancy miming his thanks to the air.  
  
Jaheira winced, awaiting the Barbarian's reply.  
  
"Boo is the most clever miniature giant space hamster in the land!" Minsc pulled a small sandy hamster from a pocket and held it out for Garret to thank.  
  
Garret stared in bewilderment at the hamster, looked briefly at Jaheira who nodded slightly despite being a deep shade of crimson. Garret smiled and indulged the barbarian by thanking Boo most profusely, at which Jaheira and Aerie both stifled giggles: they had never witnessed anyone humour Minsc before.

* * *

Sorry there is nothing in this chapter on how Raeyan and Haer'Dalis are faring... it'll be in the next one (which I promise will be sooner) hope you enjoyed it so far! 


	4. The Brotherhood of Guarded Thoughts

**The Brotherhood of Guarded Thoughts**

The eyes of Haer'Dalis flicked open. He could make out hazy shades of green, until a grey shape obscured all else.

Raeyan kneeled over his recumbent form. He could see only a dark outline, but his sight was slowly returning.

"Sorry for the rude interruption... what was it you were saying?" Raeyan said brightly.

"uergh?" Raeyan smiled as he grunted the confused response.

She touched his cheek gently for no reason she could think of; he nestled his face into the caress of her cupped hand, but winced painfully as her touch connected with the area of swollen flesh her fist had created earlier. "What happened? Where are we?"

Raeyan smiled down at the squinting and confused bard "Sorry about that: I had to knock you out so I could kill those monks and stop you walking off to your doom."

"Oh."

After a short silence Haer'Dalis sighed and pushed himself into a sitting position. Then he leaned forward over his knees and pressed his hands against his face, as though trying to massage sight back into his shrouded eyes.

"They are called The Brotherhood of Guarded Thoughts..." a thoughtful pause ensued "I don't understand how I survived... I should be dead." He said looking up at Raeyan.

"Well you're not... and you should try and sound a little more pleased about it, in my opinion!" Raeyan smiled; she was clearly still shaken and more than a little nervous about what had happened to Haer'Dalis. He smiled back reassuringly and she relaxed her tense muscles a little. He seemed to be lost in that moment; his eyes unfocused, staring at nothing; his smile diminishing a little. Raeyan gently put her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" she whispered, care shining through in her normally jovial and humorous voice.

"I think I owe you an explanation..." he began, but stopped and stared about the clearing suddenly.

"I'm listening." She prompted staring intently at his unfocused eyes.

"Erm..." his eyes snapped back into focus, he took in a heavy breath and he answered her intense gaze silently before resuming his unstarted explanation. "The Brotherhood of Guarded Thoughts prevented my death once, and since then, they have been able to control me to an extent, not fully, but I don't know how."

"I knew you were being controlled: I guessed it was them. What do they want?" Raeyan said quietly, intensely.

"It's complex." He stared into her eyes again, as if trying to gauge how much information she could handle.

"Go on." She insisted quietly, attempting to assure him she could handle anything he could say.

He sighed and looked down before he answered. "They fear your heritage. They want you dead... or at least away from the Cavern of Souls."

Raeyan nodded slowly: she had expected that kind of answer. Most people who knew she was a Child of Bhaal wanted her dead and if any had known she was on her way to the Cavern, they would almost certainly have tried to prevent her from her destination.

"That is hardly surprising. How do they know what I am and what is their purpose?"

Haer'Dalis did not look up, but stared at his boots. "I supposed their purpose is to guard the Cavern... and to oppose the Monks of the free Mind..."

"Who are...?"

Haer'Dalis look very uncomfortable again, as he had done when he made his first confession. He looked up at her with pain in his violet eyes and furrowed brows.

"There is much you are not telling me, Haer'Dalis." Raeyan stared wide-eyed, filled with terror at her own lack of knowledge: she seemed to have thrown herself deeply into something she knew very little of, and things were happening she could not understand... and what was more; she had lost her friends in this chaos.

"Now is not the time... we are surrounded." Haer'Dalis spoke without looking up, but Raeyan knew he was right. Despite this knowledge her head snapped up and she rose to her feet drawing her sword in one fluid movement, awaiting the imminent ambush.

"Rae," Haer'Dalis looked up and she returned his gaze. "Put down your sword." She looked confused for a moment.

"Haer, are you-?"

He shook his head and answered in a despairing tone "There'll be hundreds: you can't fight them all."

Again she questioned him with her eyes. _How do you know?_

"I just know. They don't do things by halves and their communication is... beyond remarkable. They will all be here."

Silence. Gazes locked and battled, then Ariil was sheathed and Raeyan sat down opposite Haer'Dalis as men in brown robes began to pour into the clearing. They surrounding the unresisting pair who were staring intently at one another, ignoring the hopeless state they were in.

Haer'Dalis and Raeyan simultaneously dropped out on consciousness a few seconds later.

"We have her. We have the child of Erisona." A hundred voices rang out in unison.

"Good. Bring her to us."


End file.
